Scale model highway-railroad crossing



E. J. PETRICK, SR

Filed Jan. 21, 1954 SCALE MODEL. HIGHWAY-RAILROAD CROSSING 3 Sheets-Sheet l @wf/M Aug E. J. PETRICK, SR

SCALE MODEL. HIGHWAY-RAILROAD CROSSING 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 21, 1954 l ya MKM

Auge 27, E' J' SCALE MODEL HIGHWAY-RAILROAD CROSSING Filed Jan. 21, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ...Pnl

,96/ To swncw FlBRE PINS United This invention deals with a highway-railway crossing for scale model driven vehicles. More specifically, it provides a simple and effective means for the crossing of a conventional railroad track by a at roadbed on which an automotive type vehicle is driven.

In Serial No. 402,629 filed on January 7, 1954, by Emilion J. Petrick, Sr., of which this application is a continuation-in-part, there is described a driven scale model automotive vehicle and road system lemploying a road made of a series of parallel plates between which a narrow, uniform air space is provided, in which space rides a downwardly directed, bi-pronged, flat guide means attached to the underside of a swiveling axle of the vehicle `and serving to hold the vehicle on the road as it is driven by a centrally disposed friction driving wheel. This application provides a unique and valuable means for extending the scope of use of said scale model automotive system, by enabling the combining of the automotive system with a conventional scale model train system, thereby increasing greatly the interest and applicability of both systems.

VThe invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which a plan View of a preferred embodiment is depicted in Figure l in position to allow passage of automotive traffic, while Figure 2 shows a similar View with the system in position to allow passage of railroad traic. Figure 3 is a perspective view of a road joint section (partially cut away) showing the guide means from the automotive vehicle riding thereon. A bottom view of the system shown in Figure 1 is illustrated in Figure 4, while Figure 5 is a fragmentary view `of the matter shown in Figure 4 with the central portion cut away to expose parts disposed within the center of the road system. A bottom view of the switching plate is shown in Figure 7 and a crosssectional view thereof is depicted in Figure 6. A perspective top view of a portion of this plate is illustrated in Figure 8. Figure 9 presents a diagrammatic plan view of the crossing with electrical connections for operating the switch plate and light, showing a 3-rail train track, while Figure 10 is a similar view showing a Z-rail train track. Similar numerals refer to similar parts in the various figures. Figure l1 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional View on the line Xl-XI of Figure l, in the direction of the arrows.

Referring again to the drawings, numeral 1 represents a roadbed comprising a pair of flat parallel plates 2 and 3 (Figure 3) separated by air space 4 in which rides the flat guide means 77 attached to a swiveling axle 78 of the vehicle. Plates 2 and 3 are top portions of hollow enclosures 80 and 81, respectively, having sides 82 and 83, respectively, with overlapped lips 84 and 85 respectively, holding base portion ends 86 and 87 made of insulating liber board, plastic sheet, or the like. Metal plates 61, 63, 64, 73, 74, etc. (Figure 4) and 89 and 90 are soldered to lips 84, 85, etc. to facilitate better electrical contact. lnwardly directed lateral grooves 91 and 92 in sides 82, 83, etc. serve as vertical limiting means for base ends 86 atent O 2,804,543 Patented Aug. 27, 1957 ICC and 87, respectively, while inwardly directed lips 93 serve as limiting means and road load supports for the portions of the road bed further away from the ends of the base. Conductive projections 8 and 11 (Figure 1) extending from the hollow portions under plates 7 and 15, respectively (such as portions and 81 in Figure 3), serve as joint making means for joining plates 7, etc. with plates 3, etc. Insulating projections 9 and 12 are similar to 8 and 11 with the `exception that they are made of insulating plastic to isolate electrically those particular portions. They are provided with conductive connections 10 and 13, respectively for connection with other parts of the system to be explained later. Numerals 32 and 39 represent portions of a' conventional railroad track having insulating ber pins 79 for connection with tracks 33, 34, 35 and 40, 41 and 42, respectively mounted on base 14. Figure 2 shows the track and road portions all joined, ready for use.

Between permanently mounted metal strips 19 and 17 and 20 and 18, are permanently mounted narrow metal strips 21 and 50, respectively which are provided to serve as a continuation of middle rail portions 34 and 41. Disposed immediately under these plates and above base 14 is movable switching plate 49 (Figure 7) made of insulating sheet, on one end 48 of which are mounted metal plates 52, 53, 54 and 55 which serve as part of the roadbed when plate 49 is switched into highway-operating position. The other end 46 of plate 49 has attached to it `arm 56 actuated by solenoid 47 which performs the switching operation by moving plate 49 to the right (in Figure 2) or left (in Figure l), as shown by the arrows.

It will be noted that air space 4, 4', 4" is maintained as a continuous channel for accommodating guide 77 on the automotive vehicle. Lines 28, 29, 30 and 31 serve to feed current from a step down transformer to the system. Electrical connections 67, 69, 68, 70, 71, 72, etc. are provided for the circuits shown in Figures 9 and lO. It is apparent from the drawings that when double acting solenoid 47 moves arm 56 (Figure 9) to the right, plates 54, 55, 52 and 53 on switch plate 49 are moved as in Figure 2, so that plates 54 and 55 are slid underneath plates 21 and 50 respectively, while plates 52 and 53 are slid under plates 17 and 18 respectively and crossing light 22 is lighted as it faces the highway on stand 26, and the crossing is in condition for the railroad train to cross. Conversely, when solenoid 47 moves arm 56 to the left, plates 54, 55, 52 and 53 on switching plate 49 move to the left as in Figure 1, placing the crossing in condition for highway tratiic. Track portions and road portions are energized or de-energized during these operations, as will be set forth in greater detail.

As is apparent from Figure 9, double acting solenoid 47 which is actuated by' a switch closing the first and second yor second and third leads (depending on the action desired), moves switch arm 98 which is swiveled and attached to switch 101 at 102. Switch 101 also is connected to arm 98 at 97, so that when arm 98 is moved to the right or left, switch 101 also is moved around swivel 102, causing the switch contacts to move. It will be noted that contacts 1, 2, 3 and 4 (counting upwardly) of switch 101 are connected together as a unit separately insulated by insulator 96I from contacts 5, 6, 7 and 8 which are connected together as a unit. There are fifteen circuit contacts to which the switch contacts may be connected. These circuit contacts are connected to the various plates, prongs, and rails as indicated, the connections being made at the bottom of base 14 (Figure 4) and wires (not shown in Figure 4, but shown in Figures 9-l0).

Referring again to Figure 9, when the first two of the leads 100 of solenoid or coil 47 are closed, arm 98 is moved to the left and the switch contacts 1, 2 and 3 make contact with circuit contacts 2, 4 and 6 (counting upwardly) so that circuit: contacts 2, 4 and 6 are connected together. Also, switch contacts 5, 6, 7 and 8 connect together circuit contacts 9, l1, 13 and 15. At the same time, solenoid 47 also moves arm 56 to the left in Figure 9 which moves to the left, switching', plate 49' and puts into condition theY crossing for highway traflc '(as in Figure 1). The circuits also-energize prong 10, plates 6, 20, 55, 50, 53, 18, and 13, which Vacquire current of one polarity from road sections 1 and 5, andlalso energize plates 7, 19, 54, 21, 52, 17 and 15 which acquire current of the opposite polarity. Railroad rails 34, 35, 41 and 42 are de-energized, so that a train riding on the railroad tracks 95 and 96 or 94 would be stopped.. Crossing light 22 also would be de-energized. It will beV noted that rails 94', 95 and 96', and middle or third rails 94 and 95 (Fig. 9), are connected with rails 35' and 42, and middle or third rails 34 and 41, etc. by Vinsulating'iber pins 79 and 79' to allow electrical isolation of the crossing section of the railroad by the circuit shown. The railroad obtains its current from its own supply fed from a transformer.

When the last two of the leads 100 are connected together by a switch, solenoid 47 moves switch arm.98 to the right and current is fed, connecting circuit contacts l, 3, and 7 of switch 101, also supplying current to plates 19 and 20. Tracks 34, 35, 41 and 42 are energized and crossing light 22 is lighted. Circuit contacts 8, 10, 12 and 14 also are simultaneously connected together in switch 101, and supplying current to plates 21 and 54.

Simultaneously, solenoid 47 also moves arm 56 to the right causing switching plate 49 to be moved to the right as in Figure 2, enabling trains moving on the track in either direction to eiect the crossing satisfactorily. At the same time, plates 6 and 16 are de-energized by cutting current ow therefrom, so that automotive vehicles moving toward the crossing on roadbeds 1 or 5 would be stopped before reaching the crossing.

A highway crossing employing a 2rail railroad is illustrated in Figure 10. It is apparent from the figure that the wiring connections are the same as those depicted in Figure 9.

A crossing signal light 22 mounted on base 26 (Figure 1) is shown in greater detail in Figure 9. It will be noted that light bulb 120 encased'in separable hollow base 121 shines the light through hollow support 122 to tlle;I top portion in which is inserted a red crystal or lens As is apparent from Figures 6 and 8 stationary conductive plates or strips 54, 55, 21, 50, 17 and 18 have sides similar to 82, 83, etc. (Figure 3) which terminate with lips 84 that project through slots 210, etc. (Figure 4) and are bent over metal plates 64, etc. and preferably soldered thereto. These plates 64, etc. are employed for soldering on wires for the connections indicated in Figures 9 and 10.

I claim:

1. A scale model crossing for an electric railroad and an electric automotive vehicle road system, the latter comprising a series of a pair of electrically charged parallel plates disposed alongside each other substantially in the same plane, separated from each other by a uniform narrow air space and having a rigid sheet base disposed under said plates, adapted to serve as a mounting for said plates, the automotive vehicle being adapted to be driven on said plates with wheels straddling said ait space, said vehicle having at least one horizontally swiveling axle and a vertically directed guide means centrally attached to the bottom of said axle and adapted to ride within said air space between said plates, said vehicle being driven by a motor contained therein and picking up power from said plates through conductive contact of said vehicle therewith, a pair of stationary conducting strips mounted over each of the adjacent ends of the pairof plates on each side of said Ycrossing and separated by an air space asheretofore, the inner edges of said plates being ush with the inner edges of the outer railroad rails at the crossing, a pair of narrow stationary conductive strips centrally disposed between the latter set of stationary plates and also separated by a similar air space and serving as an extension of a third rail of the railroad, a switching plate mounted at the intersection under said stationary plates and movable in the direction of the automotive vehicle road, separate strips mounted on said switching plate to bridge the spaces between said stationary strips covering the ends of the road plates and the centrally disposed strip, when said switching plate is moved in one direction, and be rendered inoperative when said switching plate is moved in the other direction, said separate strips on said switching plate being correspondingly spaced in line with the parallel plates of the road system, means for moving said switching arm in either direction, insulating means for insulating a section of the railroad track on each side of the crossing from the rest of the railroad, electrical connecting means between the plates and the railroad, and electrical switching means co-acting with said electrical connecting means to de-energize'a plate on each side of the crossing to stop automotive vehicles on the road simultaneously as the switching plate is moved to allow passage of railroad traic, and simultaneously energize the insulated railroad sections, and to de-energize the said insulated railroad sections to stop railroad trafc and simultaneously energize said de-energized plate on each side of the crossing as the switching plate is moved to allow passage of automotive vehicles;

2. A scale model crossing according to claim l in which a crossing light is mounted facing the automotive vehicle road trac, said light being inserted in the electrical circuit, connecting means in said circuit to energze said traticY light when said switching plate is moved to allow passage of railroad trafc, and disconnecting means in said circuit to deenergize said light when said switching plate is moved to allow passage of automotive vehicle traic.

3. A toy comprising road sections and a gradecrossover, with a railroad track-having at least two rails, said road sections being formedof a series of electricallycharged plates disposed parallel to one another, lying in the same plane and separated by a uniform narrow air space to receive vertically directed guide means attached to the bottom of a toy road vehicle, the adjacent ends of said plates terminating at the inner edges of the outermost railsy so as to form guides for the flanges of the wheels of a toy railroad vehicle when using said crossover and bridging strips movable as a unit from positions clearing said crossover for railroad wheel anges, when the crossover is set for rail tratlic to positions bridging the gaps between the adjacent ends of said parallel plates so as to carry said road vehicle, when said crossover is set for that kind of' traic.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3, in which a double acting solenoid is provided for operating said switching strips by remote control.

5. The invention as dened in claim 3 wherein' a signal light is disposed adjacent said crossover and so electrically connected that it is energized when the switching strips are set for rail traffic so as to show a warning signal to road trac and deenergized when said plates are set in the opposite position.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,647,693 Carver Aug. 4, 1953 

